Buffalo Bill flogged for R6m

2010-06-02 23:04

Charles Smith, Volksblad

Bloemfontein - A buffalo named Bill has been sold for R6m - the highest price fetched to date for a wild animal in South Africa and possibly in Africa.

The buffalo was bought by insurance billionaire Douw Steyn's Shambala game reserve in the Waterberg in Limpopo.

Kwanare game farm in Mpumalanga, which sold the animal, said breeding buffalo was becoming more lucrative, with top quality and healthy buffaloes being sold for trophy hunting.

The breeders didn't want to be named.

Kwanare said it and Shambala had the best gene pool in the country and have established themselves as the leaders in die buffalo industry.

Bill was picked from five of the country's best breeding bulls because of his characteristics and build.

Buffalo cows are sold for between R400 000 and R600 000.